Cashel House Hotel ★★★★

Last year in late spring, my family and I enjoyed a fabulous week long stay at the Cashel House. When I say my whole family I truly mean it, the parents, the in-laws, and even the dog. It was a fantastic holiday, one that will linger in our memories for decades to come, and that’s why, I was so excited when I heard it was being added to the VeryChic collection!

Cashel House is situated in Connemara, Irish Gaelic for “inlets of the sea”, amongst the bays that contour the coastline. The particular bay on which it rests is Cashel bay, a verdant inlet where green fingers of land reach into silver waters. As our motley crew arrived at Cashel House and we laid our eyes on its adorable, 19th century, country house exterior, us adults sighed a sigh of happiness and wonder; we had landed in an Irish fairytale. We almost expected fairies or magical mythical creatures to appear from the many hidden spots of Cashel’s fifty acres of gardens and woodlands.

But before we could run away with the fairies, our family was given a familial welcome by the owners of this hidden treasure. The staff at Cashel are very hands on, they make friends with the guests and those personal touches make all the difference. Fortunately, we came late enough in Spring to avoid the particularly cold weather but for guests that had come earlier in the year, they found a filled hot water bottle by their door or in the sheets of their turned down bed. Our little Westie dog even felt at home and comfortable, running around and playing with the owner’s dog on the lawn.

Our rooms took full advantage of Cashel’s award-winning gardens, with an overlooking garden view. Our bedrooms were spacious, including our own little seating area with old fashioned armchairs beside the windows facing the garden. The floor was softly carpeted, the walls decorated with gold framed paintings and the room softly lighted by antique lamps that gave the space a deliciously warm glow. Our double bed was one of those cosy canopy beds you dream about having at home, with neatly parted blue and white curtains around the deep blue head board. This was antique and old-fashioned with impeccable taste. My husband and I were revelling in this time warp experience which was a delightful break from our city lifestyles; here we were, in bliss.

One of our favourite family moments was a group evening meal in the sparkling glass conservatory. The view out onto the gardens and eventually the bay is spectacular and the food even better. Every ingredient is sourced locally in Connemara for freshness of taste and a true traditional selection of dishes. The wine list had a wide and varied selection from twelve different countries, with a total of over 100 different wines. My sweet tooth was satisfied by the end of the meal which I chose to finish off with a traditional sticky toffee pudding, but still saved room for some Irish coffee at the end; coffee with a kick, but still deliciously smooth and sweet.

The next day breakfast was served in the same dazzling surroundings, a wide selection of hot and cold foods to satisfy the appetite. We then wandered out into the Garden of Eden that Cashel House presides over, with our little Westie in tow. Fountains of trickling water, carefully sculptured statues, ponds surrounded by different colours, but mostly an all-enveloping glorious green made up the gardens and surrounding woodlands. We were also delighted to discover that Cashel House was the home of Connemara Pony and Sport Horse farm, a breed which is exported all over the world. Winding paths were laced with short stone walls, and everywhere our eyes wandered were pinks, yellows and whites of blossom on the trees at spring time; we had chosen the perfect time to visit!

Our trip was a true step back in time, but a beautiful one, if we needed it, there was a Wifi connection and old-fashioned televisions, however for the week we chose to disconnect ourselves and spend some time together as family without technology getting in the way. There was still so much to do in this part of Ireland, walks, deep sea-fishing, sailing, visiting the beaches and village of Roundstone, picnics in woodlands, horse-riding, we couldn’t do it all but we knew we’d be back to finish off the list, and maybe a few times more to wholly appreciate  Connemara’s wonders. Cashel House was our pot of gold at the end of a radiant rainbow.